Tindall 'embarrassed' by Gloucester flops

Gloucester 6 Wasps 35

He may have been one of the many injured Gloucester players who missed the game, but the England centre Mike Tindall certainly didn't miss the point in the latest embarrassing defeat for his side.

The club's joint captain, Tindall is hoping to return to action next weekend after struggling with a hamstring problem. Gloucester need him, and more in their armoury, if they are to arrest a slide that has seen them lose four of their last five Premiership outings and lose twice at home.

"I felt embarrassed," Tindall told a room full of Gloucester fans shortly after the final whistle. "I feel sorry for Brushy [the Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath] because we made too many individual errors and mistakes.

"Whenever we did something good, we then went and did something stupid to undo it. After such a good start to the season with the win over Bath, things just aren't going right.

"It's not a lack of work or commitment, but we need to own up when we aren't doing things well. This hasn't just been going on for one or two weeks, it is three or four now."

That call for honesty from Tindall, in the wake of Wasps' first win at Kingsholm since May 2006, was echoed by Redpath. When your team wins 62 per cent possession, dominates territory, yet loses by four tries to one and a margin of 29 points – a home record high in the 13-year history of the Premiership – you know things clearly aren't going swimmingly. The fans expressed their feelings when Mark van Gisbergen completed a forward roll to celebrate his second try, and Wasps' bonus point score, as they headed in their droves to the exits. There were a few attempts at some booing at the final whistle, but it never really got above a low hum.

But Redpath, Tindall and co know that any more performances like this and the club may be in danger of losing one of the most faithful crowds in the game.

No wonder Redpath claims the time has come for some deep introspection. "We have to take a good look at ourselves and start to understand where we are as a club and where the players are as individuals. You can't run away from defeats like this and the sight of the fans leaving early – we have to be up front and honest about it," he said.

As for Wasps, their defence has rediscovered its mean edge, Joe Simpson and Dave Walder are directing operations superbly and they are looking like a team on the up.

Gloucester: Penalties C Spencer 2. London Wasps: Tries M van Gisbergen 2, D Waldouck, S Betsen; Conversions D Walder 3; Penalties D Walder 3.

Gloucester: T Voyce; C Sharples, J Simpson-Daniel, E Fuimaono-Sapolu (T Molenaar 59), L Vainikolo; C Spencer (N Robinson 52) , R Lawson (D Lewis 41); A Dickinson (P Doran-Jones 9), S Lawson, G Somerville, W James, D Attwood, A Strokosch (A Satala 77), A Qera (A Hazell 59), G Delve (capt).

London Wasps: M Van Gisbergen; P Sackey, B Jacobs (S Kefu 41), D Waldouck (E Hickey 52), D Lemi; D Walder, J Simpson (W Fury 77); T Payne, J Ward (G Bocca 74), B Broster (B Baker 74), G Skivington, R Birkett (D Leo 72), D Ward-Smith, S Betsen (capt), J Hart (W Matthews 67).

Referee: D Pearson (RFU).